


The More They Stay the Same

by Mocking_point



Series: Sansa Stark Appreciation Week [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: BAMF Sansa Stark, F/M, Gen, Mother Sansa Stark, Sansa Stark Appreciation Week 2020, Sansa Stark is Queen in the North
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:42:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24280771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mocking_point/pseuds/Mocking_point
Summary: Inspired by the First chapter of AGoT,  Sansa takes her daughter and heir to her first execution.
Relationships: Arya Stark & Sansa Stark
Series: Sansa Stark Appreciation Week [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752754
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39





	The More They Stay the Same

The morning is almost warm but also misty, showing signs of the beginnings of spring. Vorianne is very nervous as this is the first time her mother has deemed her old enough to accompany her to see a man executed. Her father may have argued with her mother about her going so young, but the good Queen Sansa had argued that she was long passed the age that she should have joined her mother. It is the first month of Vori’s second spring. She is nearly twelve years old, and Queen Sansa has reigned over the North for fifteen years.

The man in question is Doran Glover, son of Robett Glover. During the Dozen King war, Vori’s mother banished House Glover from the North for treason. They repeatedly abandoned House Stark in their hour of need and her mother could not abide by that. They were given numerous chances and Robett threw them all away.

Vori’s mother is solemn as they ride to the gallows. She looks regal in her lethal armor, her auburn hair but without the few streaks of grey, she looks much younger than her thirty-five years. Her blue eyes are grim, and Vorianne struggles to see the woman who sits before the fire in the evening to tell her children stories of the age of heroes and the children of the forest. Vori thinks that Mother has taken off her Mother’s face and is now wearing the face of the Lady of Winterfell.

Most would not know it, but Vori could tell that her mother was upset about having to do this. She was not a cruel woman despite what her detractors say. The boy was only a few years older than Vori was and even the Barbrey Dustin woman who hated the Starks agreed her mother made a good decision with banishment instead of the eradication of the entire House. House Manderly survived it once, the Glovers could too.

Once they got there saw Lady Barbrey Dustin of the Barrowlands, Lady Joelle Cerwyn, Lady Beth Cassel whose family took over Hornwood when their House died out, and Lord Asher Forrester whose family took over Deepwood Motte when the Glovers were banished and the reason they were all there that day, as he was the one who reported the boy to her mother.

When House Glover was first banished from the North, Queen Sansa gave them a moon’s turn to flee or their lives would be forfeit. It had been a clear message for the rest of the house of the North that Vori’s mother meant business. The Northern Houses had not been as loyal to the Starks as they had in the past when Vori’s mother took over. She needed to lay down the law quickly and luckily most of the old guard had passed away and most of the current Lords and Ladies were complete loyal to Queen Sansa (for the most part).

Vori’s eyes widened as Abedolf Strongbeard, her mother’s captain of the guard led the boy to the gallows, hands tied behind his back but struggling all the way. Vori could not understand how he could be so defiant. He was going to die that; she could just tell from her mother’s face that it was going to happen. Vorianne's mother told her that the Glover boy was too proud to take the black, which means the only option was for his life to be forfeit.

“If you have any last words My Lord, now would be the time to say them.” Queen Sansa said, as her squire, Jaycen of House Poole handed her the Valyrian steel blade. Secret Keeper had been in the Starks for generations. While its original form was stolen and broken apart, her mother eventually took it back and renamed it to honor her grandfather’s sacrifice.

“You stupid whore queen!” The boy said, nearly spitting at her mother. You took my ancestral home! My birth right!”

Queen Sansa sighed as the noose was fitted around his neck. She knew the boy was a second son and would not inherit anyway so Vorianne had no idea what he was thinking coming here. Her mother’s support in the North was at an all-time high since she helped install the greenhouses in all of the major keeps. Not to mention the Starks had strong support from her mother’s Arryn cousin in the Vale, Tully Uncle in the Riverlands, sister in the Stormlands, and support from Princess Arianne after Vori’s father helped her take back Dorne from the pretender prince, this boy was never going to drum up enough support to actually take the North and probably not even Deepwood Motte.

“I, Queen Sansa Stark, first of my name: Queen of the First Men and Shield of the North, do sentence you to die.” Her mother said, making eye contact with the struggling boy. She slowly unsheathed Secret Keeper, making sure that those around her could hear the sharpness as she dragged it across the edge of the sheath. The boy finally shut up as he walked down to the rope, keeping the platform and man on trial up.

Vori’s cousin Lynarra leaned closer to her. “Don’t look away, Vori. Your mother will know if you do.”

Vori does not look away as Queen Sansa cuts through the rope in a single stroke. Her mother would never be strong enough to slice through a neck completely in one stroke making death by hanging the most humane way of doing this. Vori flinches as she hears the boy’s neck snap, but she cannot take her eyes off of him as he swings from the gallows.

“You did good.” Lynarra said, to her as she put her hand on Vorianne‘s shoulder.

Lynarra was two years older than Vori, currently fostering in Winterfell from her homeland down in Storm’s End. She was the perfect picture of Vorianne’s mother. Auburn hair, Blue eyes Tall with high cheek bones. Meanwhile Vori was a picture of Lynarra’s mother with her brown hair and long face, with only Vori’s indigo eyes marking a difference. Most think that it is hilarious that the sisters daughters take after the wrong one, but she does not think that Aunt Arya finds it very funny…

“You did…” Her mother said, the Queen of the North face sliding back to allow her much warmer mother’s face.

“He died bravely at least.” Lynarra said, back home she had been to numerous executions, her own mother had been bringing her since she was ten.

Her mother shot Lynarra a look and the red head urged her horse forward. “Are you alright?” Sansa asked her, not unkindly.

“Yes, Mother.” Vori said looking to her mother. While already tall for a woman, to Vori Sansa Stark seemed a giant.

“What does that mean?” Vori asked, before she could stop herself. “Died bravely.”

“It means even though he was obviously scared and posturing to save face, the boy died with dignity.” Sansa replied, after a moment on compilating. “Do you know why I was the one who had to do it?”

“Our way is the old way.” Vorianne said, without hesitation.

“And what does that mean?” Sansa asked, but Vori did not have an answer.

“It means that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you can’t bear to look a man into the eyes and hear his final words, then maybe the man does not deserve to die.” Sansa said, taking her daughters hand in both of her own and squeezing it firmly. “Someone who hides behind a paid executioner soon forgets what death truly is. You are my Heir Vorianne.” Vori rolls her eyes as her mother is the only one in the family that refuses to use her nickname. “You will be doing this one day. You may not enjoy the task, but you cannot shy away from justice either.”

“I- I understand mother…” Vori said as Winterfell once again came into sight. Two horses rode out to greet the party.

“Mother, mother, mother!” Catelyn Stark said, as she rode out to greet the party, their father a little behind her. Vorianne should not be surprised that she was alone. No one in Winterfell was as good a horseman as Vori’s little sister, who had a habit o going off by herself.

“Caty, Caty, Caty!” Sansa said, sarcastically back to her over excited daughter. Sansa did not like nicknames but considering Vori had two other cousins name Catelyn, and Vori’s brother shared a name with their father it was necessary to use nicknames for her younger siblings.

Her daughter smiled sheepishly as their father caught up with them. “Caty!” He admonished. “What did I tell you about running like that?”

“Sorry father…” She said, looking down.

“You always look at your feet when you lie.” Her mother said with a cocked eyebrow. If Vorianne was a dead ringer for their aunt, Catelyn was a picture-perfect version of their mother. Only their grandfather’s grey eyes separated her looks from their mother. “Did you know that? Now what do you want?”

“Storm! She is giving birth!” Catelyn said grey eyes shining in excitement.

“Well… we cannot miss that!” Sansa said, and spurred the group on. Storm was the Direwolf that Vori’s mother’s men found a few sennights ago

“We’ve missed two already!” She said excitedly as the group took off.

By the time the group got back three more Direwolf pups had been born. Vori’s brother Neddy had been dancing around in glee. Named for their grandfather, Neddy had their father’s blond hair, but otherwise had entirely stark features.

“This one is mine!” The boy said, pointing to the one whose sack was just licked off by Storm.

“Oh is it?” Their mother said, cocking an eyebrow. Caty, Neddy and Lynarra all looked guilty but Vorianne knew her mother was bluffing. She had been telling them all that the Direwolves weren’t pets, but Vori heard her mother secretly tell their father that she was going to allow them to keep the pets.

A chorus of begging before Vorianne spoke up, “Mother, the Direwolf is the sigil of House Stark. Uncle Bran’s Direwolf, Uncle Robb’s Direwolf and even Uncle Jon’s Direwolf protected them until the end. There are eight of them, three boys five girl pups. Same as the oldest grandchildren of Eddard Stark.”

Queen Sansa’s resolve visibly weakened for a few moments as she realized what Vori said was true. Finally after remembering that Arya was already traveling north with her children she said, “Alright…” she said, “But you will train them yourselves. I will not have wasting the servants time with this.” She said, taking their father’s hand before walking off.

Vori smiled. She may be cold as ice when she is Queen of the North but Vorianne’s mother was a big softy underneath it all.


End file.
